As of this writing, it's a week until Thanksgiving. Having delved into a bit about the Plymouth colony and its actual history lately, I suspect that it'll be a special one for me.
But only if no one at the table pays any attention to Everytown for Gun Safety in America.
See, it's not enough for them to be annoying in the political sphere. Oh no, it seems they've got a plan to try and insert themselves into your Thanksgiving dinner.
Everytown for Gun Safety has posted Thanksgiving Dinner talking points to its website, providing a variety ways people can push gun control to their families while passing the turkey.
The talking points are framed around “debunking gun myths” and provide responses one family member can give to a pro-Second Amendment family member.
For example, if a pro-Second Amendment family member says, “Guns don’t kill people, people kill people,” Everytown suggests responding by saying, “People with guns kill people, and more efficiently than people without guns.”
Or, if a pro-Second Amendment family member says, “Strong gun laws don’t work. Look at Chicago,” Everytown suggests this response: “Chicago proves why we must push for strong federal gun laws. Many of the crime guns recovered in Chicago and in other cities in states with strong gun violence prevention laws are trafficked from states with weaker gun laws.”
Of course, I suppose we could sit down and debunk each one--and as I was writing, someone already had (see below)--but I always get annoyed at any organization that tries to inflict political talking points into holiday gatherings.
Don't get me wrong, I know people get into political discussions at Thanksgiving. They probably shouldn't, but it happens, and it can happen with any family. I remember getting into them back in the day with family who, at the time, shared different views. My uncle liked to egg me on.
Then again, everyone who sat at that table is now gone, so I kind of have a different view of how family gatherings should go.
Still, these talking points are, at best, rudimentary and easily debunked, up to and including how the efficiency of firearms helps physically weaker people fight off bigger, stronger attackers or how, if a lack of federal gun control laws is the problem with Chicago, why isn't everywhere as violent as the Windy City?
Over at The Gun Writer, Lee Williams also takes a swing at some of these.
Myth: The only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.Fact: If more guns everywhere made us safer, America would be the safest country on earth. Instead, we have a gun homicide rate 26 times that of other high-income countries.
Everytown’s “myth” is definitely not a myth. As to Everytown’s claim that the American homicide rate is 26-times higher than other “high income” countries, their data source, GunPolicy.org, no longer exists. Also, what does the group consider a “high income” country?
Myth: Arming teachers will keep our kids safer in schools.
Fact: Arming teachers ignores research that shows the presence of a gun increases the risks posed to children and teachers. School safety experts and law enforcement oppose arming teachers.
Everytown’s “myth” is definitely not a myth. Florida’s Parkland Committee, which was established to investigate the 2018 mass-murder of 17 people and wounding of 18 more at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, recommended arming teachers who volunteer to undergo background checks and training. The commission supported expanding Florida’s School Guardian program to include these teachers. This proposal was strongly supported by the commission’s chair, Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, who wanted a force of trained teachers to be able to stop mass murderers who get past other safeguards. The Committee strongly supported well-trained, well-armed teachers protecting the lives of their students in our schools.
Lee basically takes them down one by one, and I just grabbed a couple of them to highlight some of the other stupid, easily-debunked talking points from Everytown.
What they're really hoping for with this isn't to have family debates be a back-and-forth discussion. What they're hoping to do is present confrontation in an environment where people explicitly don't want that, so that their easily refutable claims won't be challenged. Then, maybe someone who isn't involved will think the anti-gunner at the table has a point and decide to support gun control.
And yes, they really are that stupid.
So take a look at what Lee offered up above, prepare yourself to counter the arguments, but do so respectfully and politely. Don't be the one to get upset. You don't know how much time you have with your family, so don't squander it.
Or you can just be like me where none of my loved ones who will be at the table are stupid enough to buy into this idiocy. Not everyone can be so fortunate, though.
